In the third decade of the 21st century, cinemas will face a great challenge

In the Netflix and Youtube era, how do you attract people to theaters? What are satisfaction surveys and how to use advanced analytics to improve viewers’ experiences? How does generating positive emotions translate into business growth and loyalty?

“Incompetent service. A mother who is an older person had discount codes, while the cashier did not accept them and calculated the usual ticket cost. I call it a use of lack of orientation of an elderly person” – Client after visiting the cinema

The above commentary is an example of one of many situations that can be avoided, and its painful repercussions could be eliminated. Maybe it is a cashier’s mistake, a temporary technical error or the code was no longer valid. The reason is not the most important, the fact is that the client is furious because she feels cheated. Its human emotions resulting from an unusual situation that will be remembered for a long time. Besides, not only her emotions are involved. Her mother could feel used too, and we can be sure their family and close friends will hear this story.

Let’s consider whether in the future when planning her free time, the Client will choose between three cinemas in the city, or maybe the alternative will be a soft sofa and Netflix? And if she has been apologized for the situation, maybe even rewarded with a free ticket, would not positive emotions replace the negative ones? Reaction to the existing situation is necessary, as, as YourCX’s research confirms, negative experiences on average lead to a revenue decrease of 24% in 5 months in Detractors’ groups. Two free tickets can turn this critic into a close friend of the brand, who in the cinema feels safe and is eager to visit it frequently. And what about those Clients who meet with respect and kindness?

“Before entering the cinema, it turned out that I lost my tickets. How fortunate that I came across Mrs. Klaudia, who remembered that I had bought these tickets from her. She went with me to the people checking tickets, explained the situation and I could go to the screening without having to buy tickets again! I am delighted” – Client after visiting the cinema

Thanks to the positive recommendations of a satisfied audience, we have the opportunity to improve loyalty, as well as to popularize the cinema as an attractive form of spending free time. The willingness of constant cooperation with the brand and sharing ideas for its development is shown by 32% of people, and the younger consumers, the stronger the will to share feedback. Among people aged 15-18, it reaches 56%. These young people are the future, a harbinger of new trends and behaviors. They are happy to share opinions, both positive and negative so that employees feel that their work is appreciated and important.

A visit to the cinema does not end on the checkout service. A lot can happen at the bar, in the lobby, in toilets, in the screening room, in the parking lot. Clients treat the whole experience around the cinema entrance very integrally. Feedback from them is knowledge of what is actually happening in the cinema. Without a proper contact channel, we often do not know about these situations, and the consequences are significant.

Knowledge of what is actually happening in the cinema is crucial. Only on its basis, you can work on strengthening ties with customers, which directly translates into a greater willingness to recommend the brand and purchase subsequent tickets. For the cinema, it means increased sales, as well as the knowledge that allows you to optimally plan expenses in the realities of a limited budget. The implementation of CX research is not expensive or complicated. YourCX provides ready-made, proven solutions which can be easily implemented for everyday work. All you need is to listen to people who want to be listened to.

Taking care of viewers’ experiences is particularly important in today’s realities of the dynamically changing market. The hearts of people in the world are conquered by new forms of digital distribution of films and series, and producers create more content than we are able to consume. Netflix is a powerhouse that in the United States already in 2017 gained a greater range than cable operators. As a result, cinemas do not compete only among themselves, they are fighting for the free time of viewers who are more and more willing to stay at home. 

Monitor customer experience, contact us!

How YourCX supports cinemas?

Cinema networks increase their competitive advantage through research based on various stages of the client’s shopping path, from the desire to go to the cinema (expressed, for example, by the willingness to check screening hours on the online service), to experiences accompanying the visit to the cinema. The content of the research is matched to the context of the behavior. We try to capture users in situations that stand out from the norm, eg too long time spent in the shopping process, and then get declarative data (feedback from the questionnaire) and contextual information about all events around this situation, including paths, conversions, returns. If you want to meet the expectations of the modern consumer by establishing a permanent contact channel, contact us!

As part of our services, we offer, among others: